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The UN considering establishment of special court (Klan Kosova)

The members of the Kosovo Assembly have reportedly seen a draft on the special court prepared by Russia which the member states of the United Nations Security Council will vote on if Kosovo’s authorities fail to establish the special court. According to the news site, the Fifth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly has discussed the draft and the financial cost of the UN establishing the special court. A source that has reportedly seen the draft told Klan Kosova that the term genocide is mentioned in several chapters of the document.

Opposition to boycott today’s Assembly session (Koha)

Opposition parties – Vetevendosje, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – announced they will boycott today’s special session of the Assembly called to mark the Peace Day. Opposition parties said their decision was taken after heads of parliamentary groups were not granted permission to take the floor and address the MPs on the occasion. Instead, only Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli is expected to speak at the session.

UNMIK Headlines 8 June

• Opposition to use protests and political actions against special court (Koha)
• Zbogar: Economic development, crucial for Kosovo (dailies)
• Nishani: Albanians are existential factor in Macedonia (Koha)
• Selimi calls for support for Kosovo’s UNESCO membership (Zeri)
• Special war in Presevo Valley (Zeri)

The protest at the Assembly starts (Klan Kosova)

Around 200 people have gathered in front of the Assembly of Kosovo in Pristina, protesting against the establishment of the special court.

Some members of the Vetevendosje movement have joined them. Among them is the son of the Skenderaj/Srbica municipality, Sami Lushtaku.

The protesters hold the pictures of the former KLA commander Sylejman Selimi with inscription “With you commander,” reports Klan Kosova.

The war veterans’ organizations are objecting establishment of the special court.

Robert Boch, furious about the session (Klan Kosova)

The Dutch Ambassador to Kosovo, Robert Boch, said for Klan Kosova, that he is skeptical about the establishment of the Special Court.

He added that he will post a message on his twitter account to express his bitterness regarding the things that happened today at the Assembly of Kosovo.

"In a system where the rule of law functions, the three separate powers should not criticize each-other. Especially not the judiciary," Boch wrote later on his twitter account, reports Koha Ditore.

Kosovo Assembly session postponed (all media)

Gazeta Express reported that 11 MPs from the Democratic Party of Kosovo refused to vote today in favour of the establishment of the special court. This has led to postponement of the session for an indefinite period. Sources within the PDK parliamentary group said that the decision to postpone the session came after the 11 MPs announced they would vote against the special court’s establishment. The news site has published the names of the 11 MPs.

UN Security Council waiting for the Kosovo Assembly (RTK)

If the Kosovo Assembly fails to adopt the special court, which is expected to address war crimes allegations, then the United Nations Security Council will do so. Eri Kaneko, the Associate Spokesperson to the United Nations Secretary-General, told Radio Kosova via email that the UN General Assembly or the Security Council have the mandate to establish the special court and that the process would have to be initiated by Security Council member states.

Government adopts constitutional amendments for Armed Forces (RTK/Lajmi)

The Kosovo government today has sent to the Assembly the constitutional amendments for the establishment of the Kosovo Armed Forces. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said at today’s government meeting that the Armed Forces are not being established on ethnic basis but for all Kosovo people. The two Serb ministers coming from the Serbian List, Branimir Stojanovic and Dalibor Jevtic, voted against the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into the Armed Forces.

The silent MPs! (Kosova Sot)

The paper on its front page editorial writes today that most Kosovo Assembly MPs have become silent robots, being active only when some law needs to be voted. The paper further notes that only a few lawmakers are showing courage to say the truth at the Assembly. “The MPs should not remain silent towards the accusations that were done yesterday by the opposition towards the Minister of Justice, Hajredin Kuci, and for the involvement of close family members of government officials in the insurance market abuse.